It is difficult for one person to load an ungainly object such as a kayak, canoe, windsurfer or ladder on an object such as a ledge, shelf or car roof. The easiest method may be for two people to do the loading and unloading. Often, however, it is inconvenient to obtain a second person's help. The present invention makes the loading easier whether done by one or more but is designed primarily to assist one person with the loading.
There are a number of devices that are helpful in loading bulky objects on car tops. One type rolls the object up the back of the vehicle. See U.S. Pat. No. 2,247,128 (Levey). Another rolls it up and down the side of a vehicle. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,531,879 (Horowitz). Still another loads it on a frame that extends sideways from a roof rack and that then tilts up and slides into place. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,003,485 (Edgerton). One method involves putting an additional min-rack on the trunk of a car in order to have a more convenient place on which to slide the object. See U.S. Pat. No. 3,712,524 (Ames). These devices are cumbersome to use and relatively expensive to make compared to the present invention. One system involves a rack system with a v-shaped roller system under which a canoe, kayak, etc. has the front lifted to the back of the vehicle, attached to the rolling system and rolled onto the top. See U.S. Pat. No. 5,957,350 (Giles). It is a little expensive, relies on a type of roof rack and is limited in the direction from which the object can be loaded. It also involves a higher initial lift of the bulky object to get it started. U.S. Pat. No. 6,705,822 B2 (Oldak) involves a portable roller system that attaches to the front or rear of a vehicle. The kayak or canoe, etc. is lifted onto the roller device and then rolled onto the roof. The Oldak device has the advantage of portability and a shorter lift than other devices but is more expensive to build and is more limited in the directions of loading.
The present invention is intended to replace the second person holding one end of the bulky object. It is intended to have much of the flexibility of the person, a relatively low one ended lift, portability and the ability to load from multiple directions.
The present invention is similar to a music stand but is intended to load bulky objects rather than to adjust material for better viewing.